South Sydney are preparing to offer Wayne Bennett a three-year deal as early as next week as the veteran coach weighs up a return to the Rabbitohs.
It comes as Parramatta held a scheduled board meeting on Wednesday night at which it was decided not to follow up on approaches from third parties allegedly acting on behalf of Bennett.
Sources with knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, told the Herald the Eels had been made aware that Bennett had interest in exploring the possibility of joining Parramatta if they moved on from coach Brad Arthur.
The Eels, however, won’t rush into a decision on Arthur’s future despite the Rabbitohs pushing hard for Bennett’s services after terminating the contract of Jason Demetriou on Tuesday.
Parramatta powerbrokers are conscious of the injury predicament that has hampered Arthur’s ability to get the best out of his football team, with Mitchell Moses’ long-term foot injury this week compounded by a knee injury to skipper Clint Gutherson. Eels chairman Sean McElduff declined to comment.
The Eels board want to give Arthur more time to prove he can dig the club out of the hole it currently finds itself in and won’t be pressured into a decision by South Sydney’s urgency to appoint a new coach.
The Rabbitohs are having internal discussions about Bennett’s return to the club and are willing to give him the three-year deal he has indicated he desires.
Sources told the Herald that the Rabbitohs board and owners have endorsed the pursuit of Bennett.
In his previous stint at South Sydney, former head of football Shane Richardson secured Bennett’s services knowing his assistant Jason Demetriou would take over after three seasons. The club made two preliminary finals and one grand final in those three seasons before he left the club.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said Bennett does not want to be restricted, as has been the case in his last two deals with South Sydney and the Dolphins, and wants a minimum three-year deal. The Rabbitohs are open to such a deal.
South Sydney have also shut down any chance of luring Bennett back to the club immediately in a bid to keep their faint finals hopes alive.
Bennett is the short-priced favourite to return for a second stint at Souths, with the club hopeful they can broker a deal in the next fortnight.
The Dolphins already have Bennett’s successor, Kristian Woolf, at the club, while an early exit for Bennett would allow him to start rebuilding the roster.
But Souths do not have the money in their $5.5m football department cap to accommodate Bennett this year – they just paid out $375,000 to Jason Demetriou – and are mindful not to undo all the hard work the Dolphins have done in establishing themselves in the top grade.
“We just won’t do it because we have too much respect for [chief executive] Terry Reader and the team at the Dolphins and what they’ve achieved the past few years – they’ve worked so hard to get to where they are now,” Souths chief executive Blake Solly said.
“We’re not that sort of club. We plan to sign a new coach, and we hope it is a matter of weeks rather than months … but it will be for next year.
“We’re more than happy with Ben and the coaching group we have for the remainder of this year.”
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson welcomed the return of Bennett to the club’s arch rivals.
“It’s always good for the game to have Wayne coaching, the legend that he is, and I think it sounds like it’s already been done, doesn’t it? If Wayne says it’s, it’s done - I think that’s how it works,” Robinson said.
“I think they’ve rolled out the red carpet and said, ‘please say yes’, so I think if that’s the case then if Wayne wants it, and it was a great rivalry a few years ago. He’s the best coach that’s ever been, so it’s a pretty clear choice of his if he wants it.”
Replies
Maybe?!
The new members are some woman from the city council and a guy nobody has heard of
Unfortunately I think its more likely they quit because they wanted change but the others didn't, if the story is true and the board had a meeting on Wednesday and are not interested in talking to Bennett.
So pretty much signed then. Parra isn't going to say "oh yeah we're keen to get Bennet on board." If you give them 1% credit they'll play a smart game behind the scenes and not play it out in the media. Just like ol Wayne would want. I just don't think it's a foregone conclusion that we're not more than interested.
I'd love to think so
but there is nothing so far that has indicated such foresight or smarts from our club
No coach is gonna help Souths if the refs are so inconsistent with the offside 6 agains like this game against Penrith. Geez Penrith were no different with their goal line defence.
This almost makes me cry. The fact Bennett has made it known we are a viable option for him and we don't even have formal conversations with him is fucked. For the first time in my life I feel like dumping my club.
Actually speechless. It's more obvious than ever our fuckwits are intrested in nothing but their own jobs. Wouldnt need Oneill for starters if Bennett came. And the knobs above him would be worried they can't control Wayne who wouid demand full autonomy. We've seen Arthur in the pressers when quizzed on the refereeing , if they said no you can't have a captain player , he's the type to cop it and move along.
Once wiz is crying
it's done
I could honestly give the Mrs a good old fashioned hiding I'm so angry right now.
Just do what I do
send her a shit in a box instead
Shit in her box ? Hmm and I thought pissing on her foot in the shower was the ultimate form of domination.
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